The new commander of the “Israel” Occupation Forces [IOF] Ground Forces said Thursday the Lebanese Resistance group Hezbollah was still planning to carry out a surprise invasion of northern “Israeli” occupied Palestinian territories.

Maj. Gen. Yoel Strick was tapped to lead the military’s Ground Forces in February, amid increased criticism charging that “Israeli” troops were not prepared for war. His comments came less than four months after the IOF concluded its anti-tunnel operation along the Lebanese border.

“Hezbollah still has plans to invade the Galilee,” he told the Ynet news site in an interview. “Of course we won’t allow that to happen, we will thwart these plans.”

In December, “Israel” accused Hezbollah of digging cross-border tunnels into its territory from southern Lebanon and launched an operation to destroy them.

According to the army, Hezbollah had planned to use the tunnels to kidnap or kill “Israelis”, and to seize a slice of “Israeli” territory in the event of any hostilities.

Strick also voiced support for declaring war on Lebanon.

“In the next war, it would be a mistake for us to distinguish between the state of Lebanon and Hezbollah, since Hezbollah is a political actor and part of the government,” Strick said.

In such a conflict, “if it were up to me, I would recommend declaring war on Lebanon and Hezbollah,” he said.

The emergence of the Secretary-General of Hezbollah Al Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah was not to reassure the followers of the resistance axis due to the Israeli and the Gulf rumors about his health, rather to invest this malicious campaign as a promotional campaign for what he will say. His emergence was not to announce positions towards the Lebanese situation, the governmental delay, and the political relationships, rather to ensure in brief the positive content of the resistance’s relationships, alliances, and its wise administration of the internal issues especially what is related to the relationship between Hezbollah and the Free Patriotic Party.

It is clear that Al Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah wanted to draw a new strategic scene in the region, under the title that the resistance axis from Iran to Yemen, Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine, to Syria has succeeded in thwarting the American project in all its military and political aspects. Neither the siege on Iran has affected its regime, nor the deal of the century succeeded, nor did the war on Syria change the victory which is in favor of Syria, its President, and its army. The US withdrawal from Syria is a part of all, as the American failure in Afghanistan, moreover, the relationship between the resistance axis and Russia is comfortable. Therefore, all these reasons have pushed the American to the political and military despair which was interpreted in the decision of withdrawal.

Because Syria is the main pillar in drawing this strategic scene, Al Sayyed Nasrallah has consolidated the path of victory which has not completed yet, despite the importance of Idlib and the Eastern of Euphrates under the title ” the spread of Syria’s domination on its territories in peace and in war, since the resolution is ready and the capacities are available”. The Israeli failure in changing Syria has become complete with the Israeli failure in besieging the resistance and preventing its access to the qualitative weapons, along with the Israeli failure in drawing new rules of engagement in Syria. Therefore the reckless act to impose them will change them but not in favor of Israel, and this will lead to open confrontation, because the resistance axis will respond in a strong way cannot be expected by the Israelis. The Arab rushing towards Damascus will continue despite the American tactical obstruction as the Kurdish-Turkish-Gulf rushing towards Damascus.

It is clear from the words of Al Sayyed Hassan that the clash with Israel is the interpretation of the American failure and the resistance’s confidence in its possession of a plan, capabilities, and comprehensive qualitative will in Galilee that was supported by the operation of the North Shield because the issue of tunnels is just a detail since not all the tunnels were discovered. But most importantly because the Israeli operation which made the settlers believe the seriousness of the resistance in the preparation for Al Galilee operation has spread panic among their ranks. Furthermore, the equation of “Hammer” has become terrifying enough instead of the missiles themselves, after Netanyahu’s operation under the title “discovering the tunnels and raising the morale of the settlers”. The precise missiles have become available, so it is enough for the settlers to know that Netanyahu’s war to neutralize the precise missile does not prevent the resistance to reach to the Israeli depth, rather to make the settlers human shields to protect the army and government installations which are the goal of the missiles. During the war to come which may be caused by wrong Israeli consideration or reckless electoral rigor the Israelis will witness surprises that will make them regret.

In the psychological war, Al Sayyed had three qualitative goals, the campaign of rumors about his health has granted the interview an exceptional presence and his messages a qualitative spread and effect. He was able to spread panic in the northern of Palestine due to his seriousness and credibility in analyzing the concept of Al Galilee operation comparing with the North Shield and led to a kind of displacement among the settlers. In the depth, he caused confusion between the political and military leadership on one hand and the residents of the big cities on the other hand, after he explained the real meaning of the interest of the Israeli leaders in preventing the resistance from possessing precise missile; which means leaving the people die instead of the leaders.

The one who understands the meaning of the Al Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah’s equations which mean that the resistance axis has ended successfully the American era in the region and is preparing for the end of the Israeli era knows the reason of calm and briefing in dealing with local and Arab issues that seem important at the first glance, but their importance is decreased comparing with the coming. So automatically there will be a change in the rules of equations.

There is much talk in the Levant, in Syria and Lebanon, that Israel, and more precisely Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu, is seriously contemplating a large-scale cross-border battle that could escalate into war to ensure his re-election. Notwithstanding his claims of a “tremendous success in “Operation Northern Shield” (ONS) launched last December, Netanyahu is sending the Israeli Army to look for other tunnels, away from the media spotlight.

The Prime Minister’s premature announcement of the success of the ONS shows that he has become the hostage of his own optimism, which he would like to invest in his forthcoming re-election. Netanyahu has managed to create serious panic among the Israeli population bordering Lebanon, and further inland, by confirming that Hezbollah possesses precision missiles capable of reaching any chosen target.

Meanwhile, the secret underground infrastructure between Lebanon and Israel is not entirely under Israeli control and could be decisive in any future war involving the use of infantry for the purpose of abducting Israeli soldiers or officers or attacking settlments. Hezbollah has modern excavation equipment and the tunnels will be essential for moving any war that Israel might start out of south Lebanon into territory controlled by Israel’s enemy.

According to well -informed sources, the chances are strong that Israel may start a large battle against Lebanon, potentially leading to war. These sources believe that “Netanyahu may opt to use guided missiles and air force bombing with the goal of limiting Hezbollah’s missile capability. In that case, infantry would not be required and the Israeli army would be limited to protecting its borders and ensuring that no infiltration is possible through underground cross-borders tunnels”.

Prime Minister Netanyahu believes Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah’s leader, is embarrassed by Israel’s tremendous success in dismantling its underground infrastructure, and he is confident that he has completely deprived Nasrallah of this important asset (the tunnels) over the last six weeks.

Israel discovered four tunnels so far; Hezbollah’s leader has not denied this. Nevertheless, Netanyahu is misleading the Israelis by claiming he has destroyed all tunnels. According to well-informed sources, the Israeli army is “sending trained dogs into the newly discovered cross-tunnels despite their great depth, with the aim of clearing them of explosives or attacking those working in these tunnels”.

There is nothing new in Israeli officials lying to their citizens. Sayyed Nasrallah said one of the tunnels is old and Moshe Ya’alon, the ex-Israeli Defence Minister, agreed: “We lied in order to preserve the security of the state. We did it to mislead the other side”. Nasrallah’s message has created division among the Israeli population, between those trusting their army (not their politicians) and others who trust Nasrallah.

Hezbollah considers the tunnels an essential asset in any forthcoming war against Israel. The Israeli army has been digging tunnels between one to fifty meters deep in a 10 to 13-kilometre wide area in an inland zone near Ayta al-Shaab and Kfarkila (Metula). There is a much a larger area of 107 km, extending to the Lebanese coast, which Israel has not excavated.

Consider the Lebanese border city of Aita al-Shaab, where there are hills on both sides of the borders with a mountain on top of the border hundreds of meters high. Is Israel equipped to look for tunnels in this area? Today, Hezbollah may indeed have the use of silent compressors and excavation equipment capable of reducing construction time for tunnels from two years to only 4-6 months. The necessary engineering, planning and modern excavating equipment are not lacking, despite Netanyahu’s belief that Hezbollah is in serious financial difficulties and incapable of digging more costly tunnels.

In many locations, Israel controls the air with drones and the borders with high definition long-range thermal imagery multisensory radars and cameras, Pulsed Doppler, Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave and visible light intelligent imaging systems providing advanced warning. These systems detect and track personnel and all moving objects by their speed and direction. Tunnels bypass all these measures and allow forces to attack the enemy from the rear. The tunnels in the south of Lebanon are different from those in Gaza since the Lebanese topography is mainly composed of rocks.

All the sources I spoke to confirmed that “cross-border tunnels are important for surprising the enemy and smuggling troops behind enemy lines. That is the plan Sayyed Nasrallah spoke about when he threatened to occupy Galilee”. According to sources, “the tunnels are important but not the only way to cross the borders”.

“A small quantity of explosive is enough to bring down a 4-6-metre-wide cement wall across the Lebanese-Israeli borders to open a breach big enough for motorised troops, once the decision to cross to the other side has been taken”, said the sources. This scenario maybe plausible only if and when Israel takes the initiative to trigger a war and cross the Lebanese borders with its infantry. Since Israel violates the Lebanese sovereignty on a daily basis, it would not be surprising for Hezbollah to mimic Israel.

The battle of tunnels is an unstoppable nightmare process for any army. Tunnels are constructed to be used only once. The “Galilee plan” aimed to force Israel to pull out of Arab occupied territory (the Golan Heights) or to release Palestinian prisoners in exchange for a withdrawal from Galilee (or any other village or city in Israel) in case of war and a Hezbollah advance into enemy territory. Sources do not rule out the deaths of hundreds of men on both sides should a war break out, were Hezbollah to decide to cross the Israeli-Lebanese border.

Israel is taking Hezbollah’s menace seriously: the “Gates of Fire” battalion was created to counter Hezbollah’s plans to conquer the narrow Galilee panhandle strip. In putting forth their intelligence assessment, Netanyahu and his ex-Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot offered Israeli settlers a zombie horror film scenario about Hezbollah plans to push “1000 to 2000 fighters who will carry out border shock attacks” into Galilee border communities. The two Israeli officials thus played into Sayyed Nasrallah’s hand, doing more psychological damage and putting more fear into the local Israeli communities than anyone else could have. Netanyahu aimed to magnify his “achievement” for electoral purposes. But he failed, mainly due to his premature announcement about the end of the tunnels issue, although his forces are well aware of the existence of many more tunnels.

The sources evaluate Netanyahu’s attachment to power as very dangerous for Israel. “He and his team could very well opt for the option of a large battle or a war against Lebanon in order to be re-elected and avoid jail since he is accused of corruption. Netanyahu took over the Defence Ministry and, as a non-expert in military affairs, he needs to prove his skills by doing something against Lebanon. We say Lebanon because the Israeli Prime Minister understands that any future attack against Syria will have counter-productive serious consequences on his political future because Damascus and its allies will respond” and he knows it.

The sources recognise that Israel enjoys unprecedented US support. President Trump would apparently do anything to please and support Israel. US forces are already based in the country training and conducting manoeuvres for a possible future war scenario, and of course offering their immediate military support to Israel. The sources, on the other hand, are confident that “Iraqi security forces, allies of the “Axis of the “Resistance”, will not hesitate to be part of any future war on the Levant”.

“If the US bluntly and overtly participates in any future war against Syria or Lebanon, US forces will be hostages and targets throughout Mesopotamia. The next war will not be similar to any previous one and will spare no one”, said the sources.

Hezbollah would rather avoid war. Sayyed Nasrallah has said “if Netanyahu is pleased to say he has managed to destroy all our missiles (but in fact only a few), then let him be. We won’t contradict him”.

Hezbollah doesn’t want to challenge the Israeli Prime Minister too strongly because it seeks to avoid provoking any future destructive war, which would implicate not only the south of Lebanon but also the suburbs of the capital. In the event of war, they won’t be drinking tea in Beirut, but as Israeli Major General Tamir Yadai put it, neither will they be drinking coffee in Tel Aviv.